An easy, beautiful way to help your littles discover the natural world — and the God who made it.
When we took Weston, my grandbaby, on a little New England leaf-peeping road trip, I was reminded of one of my favorite things about little kids: their curiosity.
Everything is fascinating. A pile of leaves is an adventure. Grass is worth investigating. A tree is something to touch, examine, and probably attempt to eat. (That one still needs work.)
Weston absolutely loved being outside, walking through the grass, exploring the leaves, and taking in all the sights and sounds around him. And watching him experience all of it reminded me how naturally little ones are drawn to the world around them. They don’t need much convincing to explore. They just need a little room to do it.
And here’s what I love: We don’t have to take a road trip to give our littles those experiences. Sometimes all it takes is a backyard, a neighborhood walk, or an afternoon at the park.
Especially right now, with this beautiful fall weather finally making its way to Texas, I’ve been looking for every excuse to get outside with Weston.
Which brings me to another sweet find from Karis Parenting: their Nature’s Wonders activity cards.
A Little Nature, A Little Faith, A Lot of Wonder
Karis has become one of my favorite resources since becoming Hattie (my grandma name). I love finding ways to introduce faith to little ones that feel natural, welcoming, and woven into the everyday moments of childhood. And these cards do exactly that.
Designed for children ages 0–4, Nature’s Wonders is a deck of 40 outdoor activity prompts that help little explorers discover the natural world while introducing simple connections to faith.
And there’s no elaborate preparation required. Thank goodness, because getting out the door with a little one is already an Olympic sport. Just grab a few cards and head outside. The activities work in your backyard, at the park, or even on a walk around the block.
The cards are organized into four color-coded categories: Land, Sky, Water, and Animals. So you can choose activities based on what’s around you that day, rather than trying to manufacture some grand outdoor adventure. Each card offers developmentally appropriate prompts to help children engage with what they’re seeing, touching, and discovering.
For example, the card about trees encourages you to let your little one touch the bark, leaves, or needles. You can introduce words like rough, smooth, pointy, flat, and bumpy. Or you might simply spend some time playing together in the fallen leaves.
And then there’s a little song to sing:
God made grass to grow,
God made plants and trees,
Thank you, God, for all you made,
And thanks for making me.
Each card also includes a Bible verse, creating a simple connection between the natural wonders children are exploring and the God who created them.
I mean, how sweet is that?
The Beautiful Thing About Everyday Wonder
What I particularly love about this idea is how seamlessly it brings faith into something children already love doing. We’re not asking them to sit still for a lesson or memorize a complicated concept. We’re inviting them to notice the world. To touch the bark on a tree, watch a bird fly overhead, splash in the water, or stop and investigate something tiny growing in the grass. And right alongside that curiosity, we’re introducing the idea that the world around us is something beautiful to appreciate, care for, and be grateful for.
I think there’s something really special about helping children develop that sense of wonder early. Noticing things. Asking questions. Appreciating the little details we grown-ups sometimes rush right past.
Nature’s Wonders makes those moments a little easier to create, with thoughtful prompts that give parents, grandparents, and caregivers an easy starting point. The cards are also made to be practical: they’re water-resistant, sized for little hands, and come with a removable sleeve so you can take along just what you need. No complicated planning. No elaborate supplies. Just a little fresh air, a curious kid, and an opportunity to discover something together.
I’m always looking for ways to make faith feel like a natural part of Weston’s everyday world, and this is such a lovely way to do it. So grab your little explorer, head outside, and see what you discover. You might be surprised by how much wonder is waiting just beyond your front door.